The Birthday Club
by Smash41KMF
Summary: The long-awaited story has finally arrived! It's Iku's 23rd birthday and while eating-out at a fancy restaurant sounds nice, Shibazaki has something else in mind for the soldier's birthday celebration. Determined to make this the best night of her friend's life, Shibazaki takes Iku out clubbing, but what happens when the girls just so happen to run into a few familiar faces? RxR :)


The Birthday Club

By Smash41KMF

Disclaimer: Although I do not own Library Wars: Love and War, I do own this story, and the plot that goes with it.

Summary: It's Iku's birthday and Shibazaki takes her beloved rommate clubbing. Little does the blond know that the night of her life may just become her bery worst nightmare.

*Shout-out* This is for you, my beautiful and wonderful LaLa. I know you've been dying to finally read this story. So, here it is, without you I may never have published this. So, I hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter One

* * *

"Shibazaki! Is this really necessary? Can't we just go out to eat or do something perhaps a little less... crazy?" exclaimed the stumbling, 5'7", 23-year-old blond as her roommate dragged her through the buzzing streets downtown. The sun had gone day about an hour ago and the Friday night life was coming alive before their eyes, clubs lighting up their storefront signs and bars' neon colored signs began to glow brilliantly all around them.

"Oh, stop fussing, Iku! You're 23 years old! These are supposed to be the best years of our lives, so I am not going to let you spend your birthday in some dinky little takoyaki resturant! You are coming with me, and we are going to make this one of _your_ most memorable nights!" the younger woman said firmly, stopping at the end of the sidewalk and waiting for her friend to get her footing.

"Do I really have to do this? I don't... feel very comfortable in this..." Iku mumbled, glancing down at the outfit Shibazaki had forced her to wear on their night out. Shibazaki looked over her shoulder at Iku and let out a small sigh, shaking her head the other girl, before taking her by the hand and leading her forward; the poor girl had _sooooo_ much to learn.

"Why? Because you actually have some sex appeal now? Honey, your wardrobe is _far_ to modest for the figure you have. You're hiding those monstrously long legs of yours, and I can assure you that you'll have quite a few boys chasing you down upon first sight of those chicklets." Iku swallowed nervously at the cheeky wink her roommate sent her, eying her exposed legs. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough."

"Really? Are you sure?" Iku asked, glancing down at the outfit her friend had her change into. The outfit consisted of nothing Iku had ever worn (or felt comfortable wearing) before, with a pair of jean-shorts that cut off halfway up her thighs, a loose, open-backed maroon-colored drape shirt that she swore was about to fall off her shoulders, and a pitch black tube-top underneath that actually gave her a little more of a chest. And although Shibazaki had let her wear a belt, Iku still felt slightly uncertain about how well the shorts would stay up; however, that was the least of her worries as Iku gradually found herself growing a little more accustomed to the black, ballet-like flats that adorn her feet and the intricate, silver necklace of ringlets of all sizes that hung in two loops from her neck and the dangling silver earrings hanging from her ears. If that wasn't enough, Shibazaki even had her put some more make-up on, a darker, smoky eye shadow and a light, gold-colored mascara. All in all, she felt slightly masked, but as Shibazaki had stressed to her earlier, today was about having the time of her life so she was willing to give it a try.

"Completely, now come on, we're here!" Iku looked up at the glowing neon lights that spelled out the words, "Midnight Firefly," before allowing Shibazaki to pull her into the dense crowd of people and into the club. Iku's grip on her friend's hand tightened as she pushed her way through the clusters of people, uncomfortable with the tight spaces between her and the strangers eying her and Shibazaki. Her friend noticed the subtle change and she glanced over her shoulder at the slight look of fear on Iku's face and gave a small frown, before leading her over to the bar, and seating them in two empty stools. "Relax."

Iku looked at Shibazaki as she gave her hand a small, encouraging squeezing, a half smile appearing on her lips. Shibazaki smiled back, before talking over the pulsing sounds of the music in the club.

"You've never been to one of these, before have you, Iku?" Iku shook her head, and Shibazaki sighed, "Fine, then I'll stay with you tonight, to help you through it, and if you really don't like it, we can go out to eat, alright?" Iku gave the other girl a grateful nod, and Shibazaki promptly released her hand and leaned over the bar to whisper something to the bar-tender.

"What did you just tell him?" Iku asked, but Shibazaki shook her head, shooting the bar-tender a sly wink.

"Oh, nothing." She replied as two drinks were set in front of them. Shibazaki smirked, sliding one over at Iku, before raising her own glass. "Now, a toast, to your first birthday with the Task Force." she said, urging Iku to lift her own. At the satisfying 'clang' of their glasses, Iku hesitantly brought the drink to her lips; only to cringe as it slid down the back of her throat, burning it. She set down the drink and carefully pushed it away from her, when Shibazaki began to laugh softly.

"Yuck, how do you drink that stuff, Shibazaki?" she exclaimed, sticking out her tongue in disgust, while the girl beside her continued to chuckle. Iku sent her friend a slight glare, but Shibazaki simply waved it off beforeing another sip of her own and turning to Iku to answer, when a strong arm reached out from behind and placed a glass in front of Iku.

"It's not so bad when you get used to it. Try this, it's a bit mellower." Iku shot up straight, her eyes growing large as the deep, velvet voice whispered against her ear. "I promise."

Shibazaki put a hand to her mouth, eyes large as the man withdrew his hand and straightened up behind Iku, his hand falling beside her long legs. He then began to step back, but before he left, he whispered against her ear again, his fingertips trailing like feathers over the exposed skin of her leg as he stepped away, leaving the poor girl with a flush red face and utter confusion. Iku's eyes met Shibazaki's, wide with surprise and some fear, before she turned her attention to the glass that the man had set in front of her. Still slightly surprised by what she saw, Shibazaki set down the rest of her drink, and reached out to touch Iku's hand, which was clenched in her lap, her knuckles turning white.

"Iku..." she began, but before she could, Iku carefully picked up the glass and held it out towards Shibazaki and attempted to offer her a small smile.

"It's my birthday, maybe it's time I try to look for someone else, someone actually interested in me, perhaps." she said softly, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. Shibazaki opened her mouth, but nothing came out and she instead sighed, giving in to the girl's attempt to reassure her, before meeting the glass with her own and consuming the rest of her beverage. Flinching a little less at the burning sensation of the drink sliding down her throat, Iku held the glass in her hands, gazing at the base of the now-empty glass. Never before had she felt like this; half-thrilled to have caught someone's eye, while half-torn at the thought of falling for a stranger in such a deceiving place as a club and giving up on Dojo.

Yes, she had come to terms with her feelings about her superior officer, and although she knew the fantasy was very far-fetched, she still liked to imagine that it was possible for them to be together. She had come realize that he _was_ her prince, the one from high school and even to that very moment, he had always been her prince; she was just to oblivious to see it. He was like her better half, keeping her out of trouble and cleaning up her mistakes; at first, she only felt like a burden because of it, but now she had come to realize that it was done on his own volition, that he was in complete control of it all, and that he had never blamed her, and never would for that matter. The thought of losing that small hope, that imaginary connection between them that she held in her heart as some sort of romantic tie, it scared her to no end. Was she really willing to give that up by making this small choice that might end up being a huge mistake?

"Do you want me to come with you?" Shibazaki asked, suddenly pulling Iku from her thoughts. Iku sighed, her head still bowed, eyes trained on the bottom of the glass as she gently shook her head, earning herself a small sigh of defeat from her roommate. "Just... be careful, okay?" she said, her dark brown eyes meeting Iku's as the other girl carefully lifted her head to look at her pretty friend.

"I will." Iku said with a confident nod that made Shibazaki smile.

"Good, now go get'em." she said, watching the blond stand from the bar-stool and start towards the dance-floor. Shibazaki sighed, her fingertip tracing around the rim of her glass as her friend's blond hair glowed a brilliant, metallic-blue/gray under the flashing strobe light, before she disappeared into the mass of people. "You silly girl, he really _does_ spoil you..." she mumbled, chuckling to herself as a familiar, smiling figure came to occupy the seat beside her, his eyes traveling in the same direction as hers.

"She has no idea, does she?" he asked, and Shibazaki chuckled, shaking her head.

"No. No, she doesn't." she laughed as the bar tender set down another round in front of her and smirked. Shibazaki grinned back, leaning over and kissing the man's cheek, before sipping her drink as she turned away to watch her friend. "Thanks to you, Hikaru." she said with a sly wink as the man beside her simply chuckled; the girl was indeed a quick learner.

* * *

Iku could feel her determination gradually declining the further into the crowd of people she moved, the pulsing music making it too hard to call out to the man from before, while hands and bodies clashed in every direction, making her uncomfortable under some of the predatory looks she was receiving. Deciding to give up and go back to find Shibazaki, Iku began to push back out the way she came, when a pair of arms wrapped around her mid-section, holding her in place as she felt her back collide with a chest of hard muscle. Iku squeaked in surprise, her hands immediately going to arms wrapped around her, attempting to escape, when a familiar voice breathed against her ear, causing her to shiver as she felt her knees grow involuntarily weak. The man chuckled, a deep rumbling in the base of his throat that made him chest vibrate against her back.

"I'm glad you came." he purred, his hot breath whisking against the side of her neck and bringing a small gasp from her lips as he started to sway them back and forth. "I was starting to get a little lonely." he hissed, pulling her back towards the heart of the music, his hands resting on her hips as he remained behind her.

As they grew closer to the heart of the music, Iku could feel her heart beating faster and she lifted her arms, her eyes falling closed, letting the music take over, when she felt his hands travel downward, his fingers coming in contact with the skin of her exposed legs. Iku gasped, taking a step back slightly when someone accidentally bumped into her, pushing her back into the man behind her and electing a small yelp when she hit nothing back a solid wall of muscle. Iku's eyes grew huge as he chuckled again, his lips nearly touching her ear as he whispered teasingly.

"Having fun are we?" he teased as Iku's cheeks grew bright red, causing him to chuckle again. "Now, now. Why so shy, love? It's Friday night, you're in a club, go a little wild." he purred, his breath sending excited shivers throughout her body as he bowed his head to press his nose into the back of her jaw bone, just below her ear. "I can help if you'd like."

Iku shivered, she wasn't sure what it was that made her feel the way she did, but she couldn't stop herself from turning her head to the side; her sense of judgment was thrown at the window as she allowed him more access to the side of her neck. Closing her eyes, Iku reached back, her hands folding over the back of his neck as his arms came back up to criss-cross around her stomach; one hugging her hip, while the other slid up to her waist, bringing her shirt up slightly and allowing his fingers to brush the soft skin of her stomach. The feeling sent shock-waves throughout her body, filling her with a light, dizzy feeling that was too liberating to let go of.

As their movements slowed together, her hips still swaying from side to side as his lips touched the searing skin of her neck, causing her to gasp at the sensation, while the crowd around them continued to jump with the pulsing beat of the music. She knew it wasn't right, to feel this way with a complete stranger, but at the same time, it felt _so_ right and she didn't have to will to pull away as his lips made a small trail along her neck down to her shoulder, while his hands switched positions, one dropping a little lower than her hip and tracing small circles into the side of her thigh.

"P-Please..." she whined quietly. She could feel something welling up in her stomach, she'd never felt like this before, and she almost felt desperate to see the man's face as he switched to the other side of her neck, his hands playing evil tricks on her skin, sending her deeper and deeper into the unrecognizable abyss of bliss. "Who are you...?" she whispered, tilting her head back onto his shoulder, her entire back now pressed against his chest, while he felt his pants grow a little tighter with each movement she made. He smirked, attempting to tease her in order to expel the growing warmth in his lower extremities.

"Am I not allowed to provide a lady with the night of her life and remain a mystery?" he breathed against her neck, feeling her shiver against him and refraining from doing so himself. Iku craned her head back, hoping to see even a part of his face, but he hid in her hair, pressing a soft kiss to the nape of her neck, purring at the result as she whined at his disobedience. "Ah-ah-ah... I need to stay a mystery in order to give you this happiness to keep, you cannot see my face." he whispered, much to his own disappointment.

"But why? What would be the point? If I never see you after this, why would it matter?" she challenged, despite the drinks she had consumed, she could still process this much. "I want to see your face..." she mumbled, and he sighed, arms wrapping around her waist again as the music slowed and he swayed them side-to-side again. "Please?" They were going in reverse, contact lessening, he hated having to do it, but he couldn't let her seem his face, and it was only a matter of time before she figured out a way to get what she wanted.

"I can't." he whispered, his hands leaving her waist and instead coming up to cover her eyes as he turned her around. "Just promise me... that you won't open your eyes when I let go." he whispered, leaning forward. Iku swallowed, but she nodded anyways, and within seconds, his free hand snaking around her back again. Iku yelped, but her noise was cut off as she was pulled forward, his lips claiming hers.

Iku went rigid, this wasn't what she was expecting, but as his firm grip around her back relaxed, she felt herself mold into him as he held her closer than ever before. His lips burned against hers and Iku could feel the heat of his body seep through their clothes, and she reached up, her hands gripping his collar tightly and pulling him closer, kissing him back. He almost stepped back, but he found himself wrapped up in her, his other hand leaving her eyes and weaving its way into her hair. He knew he couldn't let it drag on, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

"So... why won't he tell her?" Shibazaki asked, leaning against the bar as her boyfriend leaned over on the other side.

"He thinks it'll ruin her night to know. He said if he could make her truly happy for one night as someone else, he'd be happy to let her hate him as a boss. I honestly don't get the reasoning, but hey, there isn't really anything I can do." he replied, and Shibazaki sighed.

"Fine, but seriously; doesn't he get that things would only get better, rather than worse if she knew?" she asked, turning to the side as the other man let out a laugh.

"No. He thinks he ruined her life by saving her in that bookstore in high school. He thought he could make her quit before she got hurt, but she only pushed through it, and he's only getting deeper. He thinks that he can make up for everything by letting her find someone else." Shibazaki frowned at the words, she knew how Iku felt, the poor girl was about to be heartbroken. Letting out a huff, Shibazaki stood up from her chair, feeling determined to prevent her friend's onslaught of tears before _he_ could cause it.

"Shibazaki, where are you going?" he asked, and Shibazaki continued walking, calling over her shoulder as she slipped into the crowd.

"To prevent that idiot from ruining my roommate's birthday." she called, waving off the protests of her boyfriend and his superior as she disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

He pulled away, taking a deep breath and stroking the soft skin of her cheeks as Iku kept her eyes shut, just as she had promised. It killed him to leave her like this, to be forced to tear this moment from his heart and forget about everything that happened. This was his punishment, he ruined her life, forcing her into one full of danger, a place she didn't need to be; the least he could do to appease for his mistakes was to let her be happy with someone else. He looked at her, his hand still holding her cheek as he took a step away, his eyes taking in her appearance and smirking. It was obviously the doings of her roommate; short jeans, a black tube-top under a loose shirt with black flats and make-up... Iku Kasahara had no such fashion-coordination.

"I want you to remember tonight... forever." he whispered, stroking her cheek once more, before leaning over and kissing her forehead gently. And try as he might, he felt his gaze fall on the content in her composure, memorizing it, cherishing it, before he walked around her. Only his index finger remained attached to her skin, tracing across its smooth surface as he came to stand behind her, his finger barely touching the skin below her left ear. Bringing his mouth to her ear again, he apologized for leaving in a hushed tone, before stepping away and preparing to make a departure.

"I'm sorry, Iku." he breathed, now several feet from her as he started to be swallowed by the pulsing crowd. However, he didn't get far when a familiar voice shouted after him.

"Instructor Dojo!"

Iku's eyes flew open at the sound of her roommate shouting the name of her superior officer. Blinking, she watched as Shibazaki pushed her way in front of her, a rather driven expression coating her face, but her gaze wasn't focused on Iku, it was focused on the person standing behind her. Spinning around, Iku gasped at the sight of the young Sergeant, who was deliberately avoiding meeting her eyes.

"I-Instructor D-Dojo! Wh-What a s-surprise!" she laughed awkwardly as her stomach dropped at the thought of him witnessing her previous... _engagements_. However, as the man continued to avoid her gaze as he cautiously raised his head to meet Shibazaki's infuriated glare with a slight look of horror in his eyes.

"Shibazaki." he gave a small nod, but Shibazaki simply snarled back, a reaction Iku had not been expecting in the slightest.

"Are you mental? Stop it with this stupid game already! We aren't blind, you know!" She exploded, and Iku's jaw dropped. _What is going on?_

"I'm afraid that I don't follow, Shibazaki-san." he replied impassively, and Shibazaki let out a rough sigh as Komaki and Tezuka appeared behind her, the latter dressed as the bar-tender.

"This self-punishment! It's madness, Instructor Dojo! Stop torturing yourself!" She exclaimed as Tezuka carefully set a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to curb her rising anger with their superior officer.

"Shibazaki, please. Calm down, I-" he began, but she whirled around and stepped away from him, protectively linking her arm with Iku's as she turned back to face Dojo.

"NO! I'm sick of sitting by and watching!" she snapped at Tezuka, before glaring back at Dojo. "_You_ are being childish, sir! If you really want to make up for what you've done, stop dragging her into your punishment game!"

"You don't understand, Shibazaki. It's _my_ fault that she's here, I made a stupid and reckless decision and now she has to pay for it! What else am I supposed to do?"

"Well, let it go! I don't think she blames you at all, if anything, _ask her_!"

"But-"

"Is _anyone_ going to tell me what's going on?" Iku exclaimed, looking not only confused but also annoyed that they had been keeping these things from her. Looking from each of her co-workers, her gaze eventually fell desperately on Dojo, who could only sigh in defeat.

"I...I'm sorry, Iku. I should have told you from the very start." he mumbled, looking away as Iku's eye widened and her hands went to her mouth. She shook her head, stepping back and slowly into Shibazaki's open arms. It couldn't have been him, she refused to believe it, it must have been some sort of misunderstanding...

"Please, Iku, I-"Dojo started, but his voice caught in his throat when he saw the look on Iku's face. Pure devastation. And almost immediately, Dojo turned away, and slipped away, unable to watch any further.

"Erm... that might be my cue to go..." Komaki mumbled, reaching out to touch the young soldier's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but Iku shrunk back, stepping further into the arms of her worried roommate. Komaki's gaze softened with sympathy towards the girl, before he felt a tug in his chest and he snapped to attention and curtly weaved his way through the crowd to catch up with his friend and have a little _talk_ about women.

"Shibazaki...?" Iku whispered softly, carefully lifting her head from her friends shoulder.

"What is it, sweetie?" she asked softly, Shibazaki's worry showed in her eyes as Iku bit her lip and lowered her head again.

"I want to go home…." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly as her sniffles became more evident, "P-please…"

"Sure," she whispered, carefully rubbing the Corporal's back as she guided the woman out of the club and back to the dormitory.

Iku, despite being all dolled up, flopped onto her bunk and buried her face in her pillow.

"How, Shibazaki?" She asked, hugging her pillow to death as she sat up and wiped away her tears. "How could I have been so stupid? Why didn't I recognize his voice? I see him every single day, I should have noticed it earlier." Iku cried, scolding herself as she recalled everything she and Dojo had done together at the club. "This is so humiliating. How am I supposed to act tomorrow? He must really hate me now."

Shibazaki felt the woman's words tug at her heart and she couldn't resist the urge to sit down and hug the poor thing. Initially, Iku sat still, taking it all in before she burst into another bout of tears, burying her face in the librarian's shoulder, clinging to her tightly. Although the soldier's grip was a little painful, Shibazaki wrapped her arms around Iku and gently rubbed her back, trying to soothe the poor girl's frantic heart. Slowly, Iku's hiccups subsided and her breathing leveled out, suggesting that she had finally fallen asleep.

Careful not to wake the young soldier, Shibazaki wiggled free of her roommate's arms and pulled a blanket over Iku before standing up. Shibazaki glanced at the clock and frowned. It was nearly one in the morning and although she wanted to get some sleep, there was something else that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. Glancing back once more at the sleeping 23-year-old, Shibazaki turned off the lights and quietly slipped out the door.

For the past year, she had sat by and quietly watched Iku fall head-over-heels for her prince, and she'd be damned if she let the man break Iku's fragile heart once more.

* * *

**Okay! So here it is everyone! The very long-awaited Birthday Club is finally here. I wrote this story at least a year ago and I've been editting it here and there, but I finally feel like it's ready to be published. I apologize if any of you think Dojo is OOC, because I'll admit, he is. However, I get the feeling that this is really going to evolve into a longer story and give the less acknowledged but equally loved characters some attention, Shibazaki especially. I've always wanted to see what lengths she'd go to in order to protect Iku, and we'll finally get to see it! Also, Komaki is going to be a big player on Dojo's end. Yes, I know, for now, Dojo will have to be a bad guy. I also understand that if Dojo wants to punish himself, he's smart enough to not involve Iku because he probably already knows about her feelings for him. HOWEVER, in reality, grief and love can cloud someone's sense of judgment. That is my only justification.**

**Anyways, I hope you all liked the first installment of The Birthday Club. I'll try to keep up with updating, but I probably won't be able to.  
**

**~Smash41KMF  
**

**P.S. A HUUUUUUUUGE shout-out to the lovely LaLa, my ever-so-faithful reader and reviewer who had been bugging me to publish this story. She/he has been the driving force behind my updating recently. I'm always excited to see her e-mails (sometimes she sends multiple) but they always put a smile on my face to know that at least ONE person will always love my writing and wants to read more. So, Thank You so very much LaLa, you've helped me re-discover my love for writing these stories. Also, your wonderful pep-talks (even your corrections of some of my unnoticed mistakes) are very heart-warming. I know how badly you've been wanting to read this story, so here you go. I hope you enjoyed it.  
**

**P.S.S. If anyone can guess correctly what'll happen to Dojo the day after, I'm offering cookies! Annnnnd a sneak peak at my newest project that doesn't even have a name yet.  
**


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